oasi, di, ci contributions

What when I leave Switzerland for a research stay abroad and having a domicile abroad?

As soon as you stop working in Switzerland, your contributions to the OASI/DI/IC end. This means that you won’t get the full pension when you retire or when you become invalid. To avoid a reduced pension, you have the following possibilities:

Swiss, EU or EFTA citizen going to work outside EU-25/EFTA

You can take out an optional policy if you have been contributing to the OASI/DI/IC during 5 following years. You have to apply for the optional insurance within one year after stopping the contribution o the OASI at Caisse suisse de compensation, Av. Edmond-Vaucher 18, Code postal 3000, CH-1211 Genève 2. Phone: +41 (0)22 795 91 11.

Swiss, EU or EFTA citizen going to work within EU-25/EFTA

There is no possibility to remain insured at the Swiss OASI/DI/IC. You must pay contributions to the national old age insurance of the host country and you will get a partial pension from this country when you retire.

Swiss, EU or EFTA citizen going to study within EU-25/EFTA

You can remain insured at the Swiss OASI/DI/IC if you go abroad for any kind of education (master, advanced training etc). You have to document at your local OASI point that you are enrolled or that you take courses in the host country. When you come back to Switzerland, you can pay the contributions ex-post at you local OASI point.

What when I leave Switzerland for a research stay abroad and keeping my domicile in Switzerland?

If you get a fellowship to go abroad, you count legally as unemployed. The SNSF provides useful information about OASI/DI/IC-contributions for those who got a SNSF-fellowship for prospective researchers (Post-Doc-Stipendium für angehende Forschende/ bourses pour chercheurs/euses débutant/es) to make a post-doc abroad (deutsch / français).

What when I leave Switzerland definitively?

Persons being citizen of a country having a social agreement with Switzerland and living there

You cannot take your OASI/DI/IC contributions with you when you leave Switzerland. The contribution remain at the Central Equalisation Board in Switzerland. However, you are entitled to receive a OASI/DI/IC pension after retirement or death of the bread-winner or disability if you have worked for more than 1 year in Switzerland. To get the pension, you must deliver an application form at the social security institution of your country. You can get it at: Caisse suisse de compensation, Av. Edmond-Vaucher 18, Code postal 3000, CH-1211 Genève 2. Phone: +41 (0)22 795 91 11.

Persons being citizen of a country having a social agreement with Switzerland but living in a third country

You cannot take your OASI/DI/IC contributions with you when you leave Switzerland. The contribution remain at the Central Equalisation Board in Switzerland. However, you are entitled to receive a OASI/DI/IC pension after retirement or death of the bread-winner or disability if you have worked for more than 1 year in Switzerland. To get the pension, you must send an application form to the following address: Caisse suisse de compensation, Av. Edmond-Vaucher 18, Code postal 3000, CH-1211 Genève 2. Phone: +41 (0)22 795 91 11.

Citizen of a country having no social agreement with Switzerland

If your country has not entered into an agreement with Switzerland and if you have paid OASI/DI/IC contribution for at least one year, you are entitled to request the refund of your contributions if you return to your country for good. You have to fill in a form that you can get and that you have to send to the following address: Caisse suisse de compensation, Av. Edmond-Vaucher 18, Code postal 3000, CH-1211 Genève 2. Phone: +41 (0)22 795 91 11. If you do not ask for the refund, you are entitled to a pension, if you live in Switzerland again after reaching retirement age.